Inside the ER: What my visit taught me about patient care
For the second time in my life I visited the ER. I woke up early yesterday morning with unremitting, 7.8/10 left lower back pain accompanied by chills, nausea, and vomiting. Why 7.8? Well, I definitely could have imagined pain worse than an 8, but it seemed bad enough to go to the ER, so it surely must be worse than a 7, right? Just like all my patients, I have …
How a standardized agreement could end the preceptor shortage
A few years ago, my college-age sons utilized the Common App for college applications. It’s a logical and brilliant concept: one online application that students can use to apply to multiple colleges and universities at once. And it’s accepted by thousands of colleges and universities worldwide. I remember thinking, “Why aren’t we doing this for nurse practitioner (NP) programs?” It seemed like a great solution, so I decided to research it.
Anyone …
The gifts of sobriety: Navigating career disappointments with grace and resilience
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
—Victor Frankl
I celebrated three years of sobriety earlier this year. It’s been a long, circuitous path, marked by seeking help, practicing acceptance, and diligently working a twelve-step recovery program.
Brené Brown, who’s been sober for twenty-seven years, shared in a 2019 article that her sobriety …
Voting from the hospital: How emergency ballots give patients a voice
Voting is one of the most fundamental rights in our democracy, and yet it can be incredibly challenging. Getting to your polling station, waiting in line, remembering to request your absentee ballot, checking your voter registration status—it is not a straightforward process. If you suffer from an unexpected illness or injury and find yourself hospitalized, it can feel impossible to make your voice heard and participate in an election. Fortunately, …
The derm identity crisis at social events
Whenever I attend a social event, at least 10 to 20 percent of the attendees (second- or third-level friend or family connections) come to me with casual consultation requests.
To me, casual consultation requests are kind of similar to advertisements on free apps, with one difference: the time after which the skip button surfaces is highly variable and can be followed by multiple ads with no rhyme or reason.
What this does …
How big business and government are shaping physician careers [PODCAST]
Prevention is the key to saving lives: What the pandemic taught us
An excerpt from Prevention First: Policymaking for a Healthier America.
Little did I know that when Prevention First was first published in December 2019, a novel virus with pandemic potential had begun to stealthily spread in China. The subsequent global COVID-19 pandemic resulted in nearly 7 million deaths, exacerbated long-standing health challenges, and led to life expectancy declines around the globe.
With over 1.1 million American lives lost during the COVID-19 …
The shocking truth behind the DEA’s role in America’s pain crisis and doctor prosecutions
The United States federal government is a single entity, despite its three equal branches having more heads than a hydra and more arms than Mahakali. One part of that federal government is not supposed to create and propagate standards that another part arrests you for following, as confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in Gonzales v. Oregon. When it comes to the criminalization of medicine by the DEA and other …
Why mask bans are the latest attack on American freedom
In the land of the free, we find ourselves facing a perplexing and troubling trend: the rise of mask bans across America. These bans, ostensibly aimed at public safety, represent a dangerous overreach that threatens the very freedoms we hold dear.
America has long prided itself on being a bastion of individual liberty, where the government’s role in dictating personal choices is limited. Yet, with alarming bipartisan support, we’re witnessing an …
How to protect your child from suicidal thoughts [PODCAST]
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We speak with Shivana Naidoo, a child psychiatrist, about the critical steps parents can take to prevent youth suicide. Shivana shares practical advice on recognizing early warning signs, creating a safer home environment …
When high achievers and isolated adults share a common enemy: social anxiety
Karen, age 46, mother of two, is a world-renowned physician who has headed numerous clinical trials and has saved many lives. She suffered from public speaking anxiety disorder. Mike, age 26, a college graduate, spends most of his life in his room. He doesn’t work, is socially paralyzed, and spends over 100 hours a week with various technology dependencies. His parents walk on “eggshells” for fear of triggering his anger. …
Why are we allowing politicians to practice medicine?
When I was doing my medical training at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City (a proud and fine hospital that has sadly closed), the official word was that we could not counsel patients to use condoms to prevent HIV transmission. Like many other doctors in training, I was bothered by this edict but kept in mind that St. Vincent’s had been at the forefront of providing compassionate care to …
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How to beat the 5 devils of modern medicine and live a longer, happier life
As a fellow cardiology practitioner, I am compelled to share some critical insights on the importance of preventive care and holistic approaches to longevity and happiness. Our profession constantly reminds us of these aspects, and it is time we take a more comprehensive approach to our patients’ well-being.
Throughout my career, spanning several decades and continents—from Hong Kong to New York, Singapore, and Shanghai—I have encountered a myriad of health challenges. …
How to engage parents in autism therapy [PODCAST]
When medical malpractice is not medical malpractice
In medical malpractice, inductive reasoning regards the standard of care as the duty to do no harm. If there is a complication from a medical intervention and the medical intervention differs from the standard of care in any conceivable way, the difference alone is sufficient to conclude that the medical intervention departs from that duty.
However, unanticipated threats require nimbleness. This is a calculated risk. It causes a difference, but it …
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Why this doctor stayed stuck in a job for years and how she finally broke free
My work was draining. The joy was no longer there. Sure, I loved caring for patients, but the schedules, the call, and missing my children’s life events were all catching up to me. It all was too much. After two decades at a Level 1 hospital, I was the epitome of a “burned-out” physician. My mind would harken back to the Clash’s famous song from the 1980s—”Should I stay or …
Why physicians need to become more educated about alternative pain treatments
All indications are that pain care in the United States is in crisis. There is an epidemic of prescription opioid-fueled opioid addiction and overdoses (over a million dead and millions more addicted) as well as an epidemic of chronic pain. Estimates of the prevalence of pain indicate that from 21 percent (2021 National Health Interview Survey) to 56 percent (2021 Harris Poll) of Americans have chronic pain, and about 7 …
How modern ads manipulate your health fears for profit [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
We dive into the controversial world of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising with health reporter Martha Rosenberg. Drawing from her extensive knowledge, Martha unpacks how DTC drug ads manipulate consumers, fuel hypochondria, and create demand …
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Why climate change threatens our children’s future: hurricanes, floods, and a call to act
As Valencia, Spain, reels from devastating flash floods and the U.S. Southeast recovers from hurricanes Helene and Milton, I, like many other parents, look at my own kids with increasing concern about the ailing world they will inherit.
If a climate haven like Asheville, North Carolina, lying 2,000 feet above and 300 miles away from the ocean, can be swept away by a single catastrophic storm, how can we possibly keep our children safe?
Scientists have shown that ocean warming due to …
Past Week
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How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients
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How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]
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Why vaccine access still fails America’s most vulnerable groups
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Medical school admissions are racing toward an AI-driven disaster
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The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
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From the other side of the table: a plea for empathy
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Past 6 Months
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How trade wars could destroy the U.S. health care system
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Cutting opioid use in half: a hospital’s pain management breakthrough
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How hospitals are quietly taking control of physicians
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The hidden bias young female physicians face every day
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How the system hunts physicians who refuse to kneel
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How to advocate for your transgender child’s health care
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Recent Posts
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A surgeon’s startling ketamine experience [PODCAST]
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How doctors can thrive despite declining reimbursements
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How DrKoop.com rose and fell: the untold story behind the Surgeon General’s startup
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Why prescribing medicine to kids scares even experienced doctors
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When empathy becomes “toxic”
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Leading with care: a new approach to health care leadership for well-being [PODCAST]
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Past Week
-
How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients
-
How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]
-
Why vaccine access still fails America’s most vulnerable groups
-
Medical school admissions are racing toward an AI-driven disaster
-
The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
From the other side of the table: a plea for empathy
-
Past 6 Months
-
How trade wars could destroy the U.S. health care system
-
Cutting opioid use in half: a hospital’s pain management breakthrough
-
How hospitals are quietly taking control of physicians
-
The hidden bias young female physicians face every day
-
How the system hunts physicians who refuse to kneel
-
How to advocate for your transgender child’s health care
-
Recent Posts
-
A surgeon’s startling ketamine experience [PODCAST]
-
How doctors can thrive despite declining reimbursements
-
How DrKoop.com rose and fell: the untold story behind the Surgeon General’s startup
-
Why prescribing medicine to kids scares even experienced doctors
-
When empathy becomes “toxic”
-
Leading with care: a new approach to health care leadership for well-being [PODCAST]
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